1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to caged and floating fasteners adapted to be mounted on structural products.
2. Background of the Invention
Vehicle suspension and full-frame/cradle assemblies are composed of a variety of components. Frequently, an article is secured to one of such components by one or more threaded fastener and nut assemblies. To accomplish this, aligned apertures are formed through the article and the component. Such apertures are aligned with one another, and a threaded fastener is inserted therethrough. A nut is then threaded onto the end of the fastener to secure the article to the component. In some instances, a lack of clearance can make installation of the nut onto the end of the threaded component somewhat difficult.
Caged and floating fasteners-such as-caged nuts are frequently used in the manufacture of automobiles and other goods. A caged nut generally comprises a nut encaged in a structure that allows access to the nut bore, and provides the nut with a limited range of movement within the cage. In the manufacture of automobiles using caged nuts, the cage is welded onto the frame of the automobile and provides a nut at a selected location for the attachment of another part, such as a door to the frame or a bracket to another structural component. The range of movement of the nut in the cage is provided so that the part being mounted on the frame may be adjusted relative to the frame during final assembly.
A caged nut provides advantages in that it can be assembled into a product framework during manufacture, so that the number of operations required in the final assembly of the product are reduced. In addition, a caged nut can be attached to the framework in locations which subsequently become enclosed or tightly circumscribed as more parts are assembled onto the product. If a caged nut was not provided in such situations, it would be very difficult to locate a nut by hand to receive a bolt used to fasten components such as a door onto a vehicle frame. The caged nut also eliminates the need for a backing tool such as a wrench or a socket to provide counter torque. In the usual practice in the automotive industry, the caged nut is spot welded on the frame; however, the conventional cage nut assemblies fail to provide necessary tolerance zones.
The need thus exists for a cage nut assembly that is easy to assembly and locate while providing necessary tolerance zones.
The present invention contemplates that a captured nut assembly be provided on a vehicle component during manufacture, allowing the threaded fastener to be threaded into the nut quickly and easily at a later date.
In the preferred embodiment, the captures cage nut assembly includes a support member that is generally flat and U-shaped with a pair of rolled sides defining mounting legs and a rolled front end defining an anti-rotation flange. The rolled sides of the support member are positioned on the component and are welded or otherwise secured thereto over the opening during manufacture. The captured cage nut assembly further includes an anti-rotation plate having a hexagonal opening and a locking window formed therethrough. The hexagonal opening is sized to receive a flange nut therein. The anti-rotation plate and the flange nut can be inserted within the support member such that the anti-rotation flange is received within the locking window with clearance to loosely secure the components together. As a result, the flange nut is retained on the component for later use. When a threaded fastener is threaded into the nut, the anti-rotation plate prevents rotation of the nut. The clearance between the anti-rotation flange and the locking window facilitates the threading of the threaded fastener into the nut within a suitable, predetermined tolerance zone.
Other benefits, aspects and features of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will be pointed out in or will be understood from the following detailed description provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.